Teaching Faculty

Date

Revision Date

September 1, 2013

Number

A 12.01

Revision No.

B

Purpose:

This policy sets out the responsibilities, terms and conditions of continuing and limited term teaching faculty. The policies related to renewal, tenure and promotion for research faculty do not apply to teaching faculty except where specifically referenced.

Policy:

Teaching Faculty Categories

1.1 Laboratory Instructor

A Laboratory Instructor shall provide the services of an expert university teacher to assist faculty in laboratory instruction and in the curriculum development of laboratory courses.

1.2 Lecturer

A Lecturer shall provide the services of an expert university teacher having full responsibility for the preparation and instruction of courses, including laboratory courses, and for curriculum development.

1.3 Senior Lecturer

A Senior Lecturer shall provide the services of a superior university teacher and of a leader in curriculum development and/or pedagogy.

Qualifications
A prospective appointee will normally have:

2.1 a minimum of a Master’s degree. Where an individual will be expected to teach upper division courses on a regular basis, a doctoral degree may be required;

3.1 The Chair of the Department shall consult with the Dean about the appropriate search procedures. Normally, teaching appointments should result from searches outside the university conducted by a department’s appointments committee. Where it is deemed necessary, given the nature of the position to be filled, the Dean may approve a national search for a teaching position.

3.2 A person who is a candidate for a degree at Simon Fraser University may not be appointed into a teaching appointment in a department directly associated with the degree sought, until all the degree requirements have been fulfilled. He/she may have a limited term teaching appointment of 12 months or less, however.

3.3 All teaching appointments regardless of category or level may be full or part-time.

3.4 With the exception of limited term teaching positions, initial teaching appointments shall be for a probationary period of twelve months.

3.5 When a teaching position is made continuing it will be made without term, but may be terminated as provided for in paragraphs 8.8, 10 and 11.

3.6 Appointment to a probationary or continuing teaching appointment requires the authorization of a position by the Vice President, Academic. These appointments shall be consistent with A10.01, the University’s policy and procedures on academic appointments. The appointments will be concluded at the level of the Vice President, Academic.

3.7 Limited Term Appointments

3.7.1 A limited term appointment shall be made when the temporary employment of a laboratory instructor or a lecturer is required and the Dean has committed funding for a temporary appointment. Limited term appointments shall end on the date specified in the appointment letter and no notice is required.

3.7.2 A limited term position may be renewed at the discretion of the University but the total term of the appointment may not normally exceed five years. If employment of a Laboratory Instructor or lecturer is still required at the end of five years, a continuing appointment shall be made. This provision applies only to laboratory instructors and lecturers who have had at least a half-time appointment. A gap in appointment greater than two semesters will discount the prior length of service in the limited term position by 50%.

3.7.3 In certain circumstances where a limited term appointment is required to replace a faculty member on a leave, secondment or other absence of more than five years' duration, the limited term appointment can extend beyond five years.

3.8 In the event that a limited term laboratory instructor is appointed to a continuing laboratory instructor position, continuous years of service as a limited term laboratory instructor immediately preceding the continuing appointment shall count toward eligibility to apply for Study Leave.

In the event that a limited term lecturer is appointed to a continuing lecturer position, continuous years of service as a limited term lecturer immediately preceding the continuing appointment shall count toward promotion to Senior Lecturer and eligibililty to apply for Study Leave.

3.9 Laboratory Instructors and lecturers may not normally transfer into a tenure-track faculty position without going through a full search.

4.2 The departmental teaching appointments review committee (see paragraph 8.3) shall review a Laboratory Instructor or lecturer's performance at the end of the second semester. If his/her performance as a university teacher has been satisfactory, the Chair shall recommend to the Dean that the appointment be made a continuing appointment at the end of the probationary period and that one career progress increment be given.

4.3 If the departmental teaching appointments review committee concludes that a review of a Laboratory Iinstructor or lecturer is premature, the Chair shall recommend to the Dean that the probationary period be extended by twelve months to allow for a supplementary review.

4.4 If the Laboratory Instructor or lecturer receives an unfavourable review from the teaching appointments review committee, the Chair shall outline in writing:

i. the unsatisfactory aspects of the performance in relation to the job responsibilities;

ii. the expected standard of performance, and

iii. the criteria by which that performance shall be measured.

The probationary period will be extended by twelve months to allow for a supplementary review. There will be no career progress increment given at the beginning of the second year of the probationary period. The Laboratory Instructor or lecturer may appeal this negative assessment to the Dean within 14 days of receipt of the Chair’s recommendation. The Dean’s decision is final.

4.5 Where the probationary period is extended, there shall be a supplementary review by the teaching appointments review committee at the end of the fourth semester, to be concluded by the Dean no later than the beginning of the eighteenth month of the appointment. If a Laboratory Instructor or lecturer's performance as a university teacher during the second review period has been satisfactory, the Chair shall recommend to the Dean that the appointment be made continuing as in paragraph 4.2. If the supplementary review is negative, the Chair shall recommend to the Dean by the beginning of the twentieth month of the appointment that notice of termination of the probationary appointment be given. The Laboratory Instructor or lecturer may appeal this assessment to the Dean within 14 days of receipt of the Chair’s recommendation. In the event that the Chair and Dean disagree, the Laboratory Instructor/lecturer or the Chair may appeal to the Vice President, Academic whose decision is final.

Responsibilities of Laboratory Instructors

5.1 Laboratory Instructors provide instructional preparation and support to assist faculty in laboratory instruction and in the curriculum development of laboratory courses. The Chair (or designate) assigns teaching responsibilities, in consultation with the Laboratory Instructor. The Laboratory Instructor is responsible to the Department Chair (or designate) for assigned duties and for professional activities undertaken in a semester in which no laboratory duties are assigned.

5.2 A full-time position entails a time commitment of approximately 35-40 hours per week. An exceptionally heavy workload in one semester should be offset by a lighter-than-average workload in a subsequent semester. In the case of a part-time Laboratory Instructor, he/she shall be expected to work that portion of a workweek that corresponds to the extent of the appointment.

5.3 A Laboratory Instructor is expected to perform his/her duties in a professional and effective manner, to maintain currency in the discipline, to prepare appropriately for classes, to be available to and to provide feedback to his/her students and to be available to consult with faculty responsible for the laboratory course(s).

5.4 A Laboratory Instructor is also expected to undertake administrative functions related to their teaching responsibilities as assigned by the Chair (or designate) in consultation with the Laboratory Instructor.

5.5 Where a Laboratory Instructor becomes voluntarily involved in service within or outside the University community, it should be compatible with his/her normal instructional responsibilities.

5.6 Non-Teaching Professional Development Semester

5.6.1 For the purpose of course/professional development, continuing Laboratory Instructors shall be entitled to a minimum of one semester in nine in which no instructional duties are assigned. The Department Chair shall assign this semester in consultation with the Laboratory Instructor. When teaching needs dictate, the Chair may ask a Laboratory Instructor to delay the non-teaching semester for one or two semesters. If such a delay is required, the number of delayed semesters shall be credited toward the next professional development entitlement.

5.6.2 This provision applies to a limited term laboratory instructor provided that

he/she has held consecutive and contiguous teaching appointments of at least 50% of load totalling eight complete semesters, and

during that period has not had a semester in which no teaching duties were assigned and the annual workload was reduced and

has a subsequent appointment of one year or more.

5.7 During the non-teaching semester, the Laboratory Instructor should take his/her annual vacation entitlement of one month. In a year without a non-teaching semester, the Chair will ensure that the Laboratory Instructor is provided the opportunity to take his/her annual vacation entitlement.

5.8 For the purpose of nomination, voting and election to Senate and the Board of Governors, Laboratory Instructors shall be considered as equivalent to faculty.

5.9 Laboratory Instructors shall maintain laboratory teaching dossiers that must be updated each academic year. A summary of activities (or c.v. update) shall be forwarded to the department Chair by January 15th, annually.

Responsibilities of Lecturers and Senior Lecturers

6.1 Lecturers and Senior Lecturers shall have full responsibility for the preparation and instruction of courses, including laboratory courses, for the supervision of any teaching assistants or laboratory instructors associated with these courses, for curriculum development, and for associated duties. Currency in the discipline is essential, but there is no requirement of research activity. Lecturers and Senior Lecturers are responsible to the Department Chair (or designate) for assigned duties.

6.2 a) The primary obligation of lecturers is teaching and associated duties. They are fully responsible for courses in the same manner as other faculty members.
b) Occasionally, where the needs and resources of the department allow, and with the lectuer's agreement, a Chair may assign limited duties related to the scholarship of teaching and learning for a defined period. These duties can be taken into account in paragraph 6.4.

6.3 Lecturers and Senior Lecturers are allocated an equitable proportion of the annual instructional responsibilities of their departments. A normal annual teaching workload for lecturers is defined as twice that of tenure-track faculty in the same department. Minor year-to-year fluctuations in a lecturer’s teaching workload may be necessary to meet the particular teaching needs of the department. On average, however, the normal annual teaching workload for lecturers will be consistent with the norm.

6.4 In assigning the annual teaching workload of a lecturer, the Chair shall give due consideration to those factors affecting workload that may serve to increase or decrease the amount of time and effort required. Factors to be considered include, but are not limited to:

the abilities and specific area of expertise of the lecturer;

whether the lecturer has previously taught the assigned course;

whether the assigned course is a new preparation;

whether the assigned course or the method of delivery has undergone significant revision;

the mode of instruction;

the student enrolment;

the scheduled contact hours;

the level of the course (lower division, upper division or graduate);

the amount and type of preparation, grading and course administration;

the amount of supervision of teaching assistants and laboratory instructors required;

the overall balance between courses with diverse subject matter and those with similar subject matter;

the amount of non-teaching assignments and administrative responsibilities assigned;

the amount of technical teaching support duties assigned;

any other relevant factors.

6.5 The configuration of a lecturer’s normal annual teaching workload across the three semesters depends on the needs of the department and shall be determined by the Chair in consultation with the lecturer and in accordance with the following provisos:

Normally, a lecturer should teach no more than four regular courses (or their equivalent) in any one semester;

A lecturer is entitled to have his/her workload configured so that no teaching duties are assigned at least one semester in six. There is, however, no reduction in the normal annual teaching load; and

At least one semester in nine, no teaching duties are assigned. This non-teaching semester is one in which at least two regular courses (or their equivalent) would normally have been taught.

This provision applies to a limited term lecturer provided that

i. he/she has held consecutive and contiguous teaching appointments of at least 50% of load totalling eight complete semesters, and

ii. has a subsequent appointment of one year or more.

6.6 During the non-teaching semester, a lecturer should take his/her annual vacation entitlement of one month. In a year without a non-teaching semester, the Chair will ensure that the lecturer is provided the opportunity to take his/her annual vacation entitlement.

6.7 In those semesters in which the lecturer is teaching less than a full teaching load he/she is expected to undertake teaching-related or professional development activities.

6.8 Lecturers and Senior Lecturers are expected to undertake administrative functions assigned by the Chair in consultation with the lecturer.

6.9 Full-time lecturers shall be considered as faculty members with the rights and responsibilities conferred by the University Act. Lecturers and Senior Lecturers are not eligible for tenure, and may neither serve on a Tenure and Promotion Committee or the Faculty Review Committee nor vote in any election of members to those committees. Apart from the foregoing restriction, lecturers holding appointments of more than one year or who have two or more consecutive one-year appointments can participate fully in departmental, faculty and university activities. Limited term lecturers holding appointments of one year or less may participate in departmental, Faculty or University committee work at the initiative of the appropriate authority, but may not vote.

6.10 Lecturers and Senior Lecturers shall maintain teaching dossiers that must be updated each academic year. A summary of activities (or c.v. update) shall be forwarded to the department Chair by January 15th, annually.

Remuneration

7.1 Salary

7.1.1 Initial placement of a laboratory instructor or lecturer on the salary scale shall be commensurate with the individual’s qualifications, experience and duties. Salary scales are contained in A 20.02 and are adjusted according to the Framework Agreement between the University and the Faculty Association.

7.1.2 Part-time continuing and limited term teaching appointments will have salaries pro-rated according to the extent of the appointment.

7.1.3 Any changes to the salary scale will normally take place on 1 July annually, unless otherwise negotiated. Any step increases will take effect on 1 September.

7.2.1 Limited term Laboratory Instructors or lecturers on appointment of one year or less shall receive no career progress increase. If they are reappointed, their step placement shall reflect their satisfactory performance in the previous appointment.

7.2.2. Limited term Laboratory Instructors or lecturers with appointments of more than one year, or with two or more consecutive one-year appointments shall receive one career progress increase on September 1 in the second year of appointment. They will be subject to a formal performance review as set out in the Faculty Salaries Policy A 20.01 in the 2nd and 4th years of the appointment or accumulated appointment.

7.2.3 Continuing Laboratory Instructors or lecturers shall be reviewed according to the schedule contained the Faculty Salaries Policy A 20.01.

7.3 Benefits

7.3.1 The benefits for laboratory instructors and lecturers are detailed in A 21.01.

7.3.2 Limited term Laborator instructors and lecturers may be eligible for assistance with relocation expenses under policy GP 9.

Performance Evaluation

8.1 The performance review procedures for those holding continuing teaching positions or limited term teaching positions with a cumulative length of two or more years shall parallel the procedures of the Faculty Salaries Policy A 20.01 except as modified by this policy.

8.2 Career progress increases shall be based on an evaluation of the laboratory instructor or lecturer’s performance of his/her responsibilities as described in paragraphs 5.1 and 6.1.The Chairr of the Department will make recommendations on career progress increases on the advice of the departmental teaching appointments review committee.

8.3 The teaching appointments review committee is the tenure and promotion committee supplemented by a laboratory instructor or lecturer elected or ratified by the laboratory instructors and lecturers in the department. To be eligible to serve on the teaching appointments review committee, the laboratory instructor or lecturer must not be scheduled for a salary review that year, unless he/she is at the ceiling for their rank. If there is no laboratory instructor or lecturer in the department eligible to serve on the teaching appointments review committee, then a laboratory instructor or lecturer from another department shall be selected by the Dean and ratified by the lecturers and laboratory instructors in the department.

8.4 The biennial salary review shall result in one of the following assessments for the year of review and the following year.

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

8.5 Where a lecturer or laboratory instructor receives no career progress increment he/she may appeal the case to the University Salary Appeals Committee.

8.6 If the laboratory instructor or lecturer accepts the assessment of zero career progress steps or if the University Salary Appeals Committee confirms an assessment of zero career progress steps then, in the case of a laboratory instructor or lecturer who has an immediate prior performance history of at least two consecutive satisfactory salary review (i.e. of one step or more), he/she will be expected to take steps to remedy the unsatisfactory performance review.

In all other cases in which zero career progress steps are assessed, the Chair and the Dean shall, within one month of USAC’s decision, outline in writing:

i. the unsatisfactory aspects of the performance;

ii. the expected standard of performance; and

iii. the criteria by which that performance will be measured.

8.7 By the end of the following teaching semester, if the performance of the lecturer or laboratory instructor has not improved sufficiently to warrant an assessment of at least 0.5 steps, the Chair shall notify the laboratory instructor or lecturer and shall recommend to the Dean that he/she be placed on probation. The laboratory instructor or lecturer may appeal this recommendation to the Dean within 14 days of receipt of the Chair’s recommendation. In the event that the Chair and Dean disagree, the laboratory instructor or lecturer may appeal within 14 days of receipt of the Dean’s recommendation to the Vice President, Academic whose decision is final.

8.8 When a lecturer or laboratory instructor is placed on probation, the following process shall be followed:

i. The Chair shall review with the lecturer or laboratory instructor his/her duties to ensure complete understanding of them.

ii. The areas of deficiency will be set out in writing and the expected standard of performance, along with measurement criteria, fully explained.

iii. The lecturer or laboratory instructor will be officially put on notice that the expected standards are to be achieved within a specified time period, which will be at least one semester from the date of the notice. This notice will be in writing and copied to the Chair, Dean and Vice President, Academic.

iv. Within one month of the expiration of the notice period, the departmental teaching appointments review committee will assess accomplishment against objectives. The lecturer or laboratory instructor will be able to make a written submission to the Committee.

v. Should the evaluated performance not meet the articulated standards, the Chair shall forward to the Dean a recommendation that the lecturer or laboratory instructor’s appointment be terminated, and the Dean shall forward a recommendation to the Vice President, Academic. The Vice President, Academic shall forward a recommendation to the President whose decision shall be final. The laboratory instructor or lecturer shall have a right of response at each step of this process.

8.9 Notice of termination will be 3 months or the equivalent salary in lieu.

8.10 When an appointment has been terminated as set out in this section, the lecturer or laboratory instructor have recourse to the dismissal arbitration process set out in A 30.09 - Disciplinary Measures Policy.

Promotion

9.1 A laboratory instructor may apply for promotion to lecturer where a substantial proportion of his/her permanent duties has become the full responsibility for the instruction of courses, including laboratory courses. In addition, he/she must have a demonstrated ability as an expert university teacher.

9.2 A Lecturer may apply for promotion to Senior Lecturer if he/she has at least five years' experience as a lecturer at Simon Fraser University and has demonstrated superior abilities as a university teacher across a range of courses, leadership in curriculum development or innovative pedagogy, and a satisfactory level of service.

9.3 A Senior Lecturer may apply for promotion to Teaching Professor, with tenure, using the criteria outlined in Policy A11.10 - Teaching Professors.

9.4 Early Promotion

A Lecturer may apply to be considered for promotion to Senior Lecturer if he/she has at least three years as a continuing Lecturer at SFU and three years as a Lecturer (or equivalent position) at another post-secondary institution prior to the continuing appointment at SFU. Both of these appointments must be at least half-time. The Lecturer must make a written submission, including a full curriculum vitae, to the Dean, copied to the Chair of the Teaching Appointments Review Committee (TARC), by September 15 outlining the reasons for the request. In making a determination, the Dean shall consult with the Chair of the TARC. The Dean shall inform the Lecturer of the decision in writing with reasons by October 1, with a copy to the Chair of the TARC. An unsuccessful early promotion application shall not be a relevant consideration in any future promotion consideration.

9.5 An application for promotion to Lecturer or Senior Lecturer must be submitted in writing to the Chair by October 15 accompanied by a teaching dossier and whatever other documentation the Lecturer or laboratory instructor considers relevant to his/her case.

9.6 An application for promotion to Lecturer or Senior Lecturer shall be considered by the departmental teaching appointments review committee, which will submit its recommendation to the Dean, by February 15. The candidate shall have the opportunity to provide a response to the Dean within 14 days.

9.7 The Dean shall make his/her recommendation and forward it to the Vice President, Academic by April 15 after considering the recommendation from the departmental teaching appointments review committee and the comments, if any, of the lecturer or laboratory instructor.

9.8 The Vice President, Academic shall review the recommendations of the departmental teaching appointments review committee and the Dean and the comments, if any, of the lecturer or laboratory instructor. The Vice President, Academic’s decision will be final.

9.9 If an application for promotion is unsuccessful, the lecturer or laboratory instructor must wait at least two years from the most recent application date before re-applying.

Elimination of Position

10.1 The University accepts that it has a responsibility to continuing employees with long service who have given good job performance and who would suffer a loss of employment as a result of departmental re-organization or elimination of their positions.

10.2 The Chair will advise a continuing laboratory instructor or lecturer whose position is discontinued of the reasons for this action in writing. As much notice as possible shall be given, but in no circumstances shall the period of notice be less than:

4 months for a person with service of two years or less in a continuing position;

8 months for a person with service of five years or less in a continuing position; and

12 months for a person with more than five years of service in a continuing position.

10.3 The University shall assist a continuing laboratory instructor or lecturer whose position is discontinued in a search for suitable alternative employment within the University. A laboratory instructor or lecturer who accepts alternative employment shall be given the opportunity to retrain for his/her new duties and the employer shall pay any related fees.

10.4 No laboratory instructor or lecturer shall be expected to take a reduction in salary as a result of being the successful applicant to a position in the bargaining unit in a lower salary range than he/she previously occupied. In such cases, the individual’s salary shall be frozen unless and until the position occupied has a salary range that is greater than the salary currently received by that individual.

10.5 If no suitable alternate employment within the University has been located by the end of the notice period then

relocation counselling by an external consultant will be offered at no expense to the laboratory instructor or lecturer, and

the laboratory instructor or lecturer shall be terminated and receive severance pay equivalent to one month’s salary and benefits for each complete year of service to a maximum of twelve months’ salary, to be paid out in a mutually agreeable manner.

10.6 For the twelve months following termination

the individual may elect to carry group medical, extended health and dental coverage provided that all employer and employee portions of premiums are prepaid by the individual, and

if the individual is re-employed by SFU in a continuing position, severance pay will cease and any balance will be due to the University.

13.1A laboratory instructor or lecturer who is resigning should give the University at least one semester’s notice of the effective date of his/her resignation, and where possible, a longer notice period is preferred. Resignations will normally take effect at the end of a semester.